They sometimes have mirrored prints. Genes determine tendencies to
develop in specific ways, not specific details. There are no genes
specifying, for instance, a specific hair at a specific location on a
finger. There are genes whose rates of activity determine the
probability that a hair will develop there.
mehutto at mindspring.com (Michael Hutto) wrote:
>Could someone explain to this non-geneticist why identical twins - who
>share the same DNA and genetic patterns - would have different
>fingerprints?
>It is my understanding that identical twins will have similar, but not
>identical, fingerprints. How could this be? Are fingerprints not
>genetically determined? If they are not, what determines the
>particular pattern? Environmental influences?
>Please respond via e-mail and thanks in advance!
Richard A. Lockshin
(lockshin at mindspring.com;lockshin at sjumusic.stjohns.edu)
check out Cell Death Soc web page:
http://rdz.stjohns.edu/~lockshin/index.html